The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been officially selected, and is set to arrive in New York City on Nov. 9, Rockefeller Center announced.
The 70-year-old Norway Spruce was first found by Rockefeller Center head gardener Erik Pauze in July 2020, who has been scouting and selecting the country's most famous Christmas trees for more than three decades.
This year's tree was found in West Stockbridge, Mass., and will be the first to come from the state since 1959.
"I came from getting gas after staying overnight Tree searching," Pauze said in an interview published by Rockefeller Center. "I saw the beautiful Norway Spruce as I drove down the road, and it was right in front of me. I knocked on the door and met Earl Albert. I asked if he would someday consider donating the Tree to Rockefeller Center. His answer was immediately yes."
The donation wasn't immediate however. Four years went by, and in the spring of this year, Pauze decided the time was right.
"I would drive by every so often to check in on the Tree," Pauze said. "In the spring of this year, I decided to call Earl and ask if I could start feeding it and watering it. I came up quite often to feed the Tree, and every time I got out of the car, I smiled and knew it was the right one for Rockefeller Center."
Pauze said he knows when a tree is right for 30 Rock when he imagines children getting their first glimpse of it.
"What I look for is a tree you would want in your living room but on a grander scale," Pauze said. "It's got that nice, perfect shape all around. And most of all, it's gotta look good for those kids who turn the corner at 30 Rock; it needs to instantly put a huge smile on their faces. It needs to evoke that feeling of happiness."
This year's tree stands 74 feet tall and weighs an incredible 11 tons. The tree will be cut down on Nov. 7, then travel 135 miles to New York City.
Once the tree is in place at Rockefeller Center, teams will get to work stringing up more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on approximately five miles of wire. The star at the top of the tree, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018, weighs around 900 pounds and features 70 spikes covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.
The annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4, during the live broadcast "Christmas at Rockefeller Center." The tree will remain lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight, and will be lit for 24 hours on Christmas Eve.
With TMX
